What Is Autism and Causes?
Autistic children and young people face many challenges, but there is much that can be done to help them succeed. This section provides information on what you should know as a parent so your child has an opportunity for success in their lives!
Autism is a developmental disability that affects people from birth. There are many possible causes for autism, including genetic and environmental factors. Some recent research suggests that it may be caused by a variety of things such as the way our brains develop in uteri or during childhood.
If you notice any of the following:
By 6 months Little to no big smiles and other warm joyful expressions; few eye contact. Fairly frequently avoids looking into people’s eyes when they’re talking with him/her (even if he can see them clearly). Rarely engages in back-and forth sharing sounds such as laughter or words about what happened recently. Less than everyday babbles which means that he doesn’t seem very interested in playing games.
At any age your child may be on the autism spectrum if they show any of these signs. They might not look you in eye when speaking to them. They might avoid social interactions or prefer spending time alone instead! There could also be some classic symptoms that indicate an issue with communication skills . Echolalia ( repeating what was just said ) is one such sign which can happen often enough without indication from other people around.
These may indicate your child is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder. Ask a pediatrician or family doctor immediately.
Autism is a complex condition that often comes with other disorders. Some examples include ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ADD (Attention deficit disorder). People who have these conditions might be more hyperactive, struggle in attention or act impulsively than someone without this type of mental illness
People living life as an autistic individual may also experience issues when it comes to their emotional health. Learning disability affects the way autistic person learns new things throughout their lifetime. Epilepsy is also more common in autistic people than general population.
There is no cure for autism, but there are many approaches and forms of support that can help transform lives.
War Against Autism in 1990’s
In the 1990’s a theory emerged that the measles mumps and rubella vaccine caused autism. This idea was based on fraudulent findings put forward by Andrew Wakefield. He had been banned from practicing medicine after an investigation into his research showed it wasn’t accurate. Following this finding all sorts of other studies were done showing no connection between vaccines and developing diseases such as autism. This is still a huge problem. Some parents are not vaccinating their children, which puts everyone at risk of catching potentially fatal diseases.
How Can I Find Out If My Child’s Autism
If you think your child is at risk for an autism spectrum disorder. Ask a Pediatrician or Family Practitioner immediately. You should fill in this form with your family practitioner to find out if your child has any symptoms for autism.
Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F)
Acknowledgement: We thank Joaquin Fuentes, M.D. for his work in developing the flow chart format
used in this document.